I'm sure many will jump on the kindle smartphone and buy it. If Amazon sells it like the Fire, they will sell it at cost. I did buy the Fire, but got rid of it though as the bloatware was annoying, and the fact that many google apps did not work, or you were forced to sideload because of the Amazon restrictions on what apps were allowed. Basically they could build a device similar to a Galaxy S3, sell it at cost for around $200, and Amazon would become an immediate big player with android devices. Samsung, Google, HTC and even Apple can't be too happy with the thought of that.

I would definitely consider either of these phones over another iPhone. The Amazon phone looks like it would have pretty good specs and could even be priced lower than what the Google Nexus costs. Amazon really has the scale of economy and ecosystem to pull it off.

The new BlackBerry is also intriguing because it looks like it integrates software better than the iPhone and has a better touch user interface than iOS that relies on swiping rather than awkward click, hold, wait, double click, triple click the laggy home button that you do on the iPhone.

I'm sure many will jump on the kindle smartphone and buy it. If Amazon sells it like the Fire, they will sell it at cost. I did buy the Fire, but got rid of it though as the bloatware was annoying, and the fact that many google apps did not work, or you were forced to sideload because of the Amazon restrictions on what apps were allowed. Basically they could build a device similar to a Galaxy S3, sell it at cost for around $200, and Amazon would become an immediate big player with android devices. Samsung, Google, HTC and even Apple can't be too happy with the thought of that.

Yeah, a little less locked down would be nice. The current oligarchs might not be too happy either when the masses can buy an unlocked smartphone while avoiding their ridiculous contracts.

Haha, you said it. iTunes is what I hate most about Apple's ecosystem. If the Amazon phone just plugs in for drag and drop even better. Apple might just have to start giving the people what they want if the competition heats up.

Unlocked would mean AT&T and Tmobile are immediately on board. The big question is whether Verizon would allow it on their network. A quality smartphone for $200 full price would instantly take a huge chunk of sales away from other manufacturers.

This is Apple's problem, the commoditization of nice hardware. I have a Nexus 4 and it stomps my iPhone 5 in just about every single way. This is a 350 dollar phone I like more than my 850 dollar phone...

The problem is most of Apple's profits are based on carrier subsidies. I will never buy such a phone ever again. Lower prices, and nicer hardware are coming, and that will simply remove Apple's ability to charge such HUGE margins if they want any sort of decent sales numbers. On top of that, Android 4.2 is better looking and better functioning than iOS at this point. It is seriously amazing, and Google is not stopping or slowing down. How does Apple compete at this point? They don't seem to the have the ideas, or the momentum.

I was once a HUGE Apple fanboy...that's pretty much gone now. I've used iPhone since 2008, and unless something DRASTIC happens, I will simply never return. Current Android phones are amazing.

I'll be curious to see how Amazon will fit into this though I doubt I would ever get one.

How does Apple compete at this point? They don't seem to the have the ideas, or the momentum.

When it comes to iOS, Apple needs to open up, innovate and listen. Examples: Still cluttered screens full of icons, can't drag and drop a simple file without iTunes, no memory cards....on and on. Apple will not have the luxury of ignoring iOS users needs if Blackberry and Amazon do it right.

If this phone rumor goes ahead and becomes reality, Jeff Bozo better start padding his resumé. Amazon had its first quarterly net loss in 9 years last quarter (and the Fire HD helped Amazon along). Amazon sells at cost and expects money to come from content sales. This didn't happen with the original Fire, it isn't happening with the HD and it certainly won't happen with a phone.
Besides, who wants a phone designed to be an Amazon catalog with adverts on the homescreen?